The present invention relates generally to gloves and more particularly to compression gloves useful for medical treatment.
It is well known that many individuals suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, oedema primary lymphoedema, and other health problems which generate discomfort including pain and stiffness, particularly upon first arising after sleep. It is common for such individuals to take various types of drugs and pain relieving over-the-counter medications to obtain relief from many of the conditions.
It has long been realized that the application of pressure to affected areas involving these discomfort causing medical problems of the type above discussed can provide at least some relief. Various pressure garments have been devised and for the most part are relatively successful in their applications. However, applicant is unaware of any pressure garments useful for successfully applying pressure to the manus or hands in a manner which is acceptable for treatment of the various conditions above referred to.
Various types of gloves are well known and some in fact can be used to apply pressure. For example, latex gloves which are made from a variety of elastomers are light and flexible, tightly fitting and can be used in various medical applications. However, such gloves vary from glove to glove insofar as the fit is concerned and the pressures applied by such gloves when worn for a substantial period of time, such as overnight, unduly restricts the blood vessels in the manus of the wearer causing numbness and general discomfort for the wearer.
There is a need for compression gloves which may be worn for long periods of time by the user and which will apply a predetermined pressure to the metacarpus, phalanges and, if desired, the carpus of the wearer to relieve pain and to provide other beneficial treatments for various conditions that will not result in the application of undue amounts of pressure causing numbness, fatigue and discomfort to the wearer.
A compression glove in accordance with the present invention includes a layer of elastomeric fabric which encases the manus of the wearer and which is formed to be substantially smaller than the manus of the wearer when the glove is in its fully relaxed state and which is stretchable in all directions to closely fit the manus of the wearer and apply continuous compression to the manus of the wearer when the glove is in place on the manus of the wearer.
The method of fitting the compression glove constructed in accordance with the present invention is to provide a plurality of templates comprising an outline of a person""s hand. Each such template being of a different size, placing the wearer""s hand against the template and determining the template most nearly the size of the wearer""s hand, providing a chart setting forth various gloves sizes, comparing the determined template to the chart and selecting the glove size designated on the chart most applicable for that wearer.